1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a No. 7 signaling network, and in particular to a priority auto-control method of signal routes in the No. 7 signaling network.
2. Background of the Related Art
A No. 7 signal method, as defined by the ITU-T, has been adopted as a signaling system for exchanges in a mobile communication network. It is a common channel signaling method. In the No. 7 signaling method, when two or more signal routes are available to a terminating signaling point, an operator of the signaling network routes the signal messages by controlling priority between the signal routes.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical configuration of the No. 7 signaling network. For purposes of this example, it will be assumed all Signaling Link Sets in the signaling network are available and are normal routes. Referring to FIG. 1, when a signaling point A is an originating signaling point (hereinafter referred to a originating point) and a signaling point F is a terminating signaling point (hereinafter referred to a terminating point), a prescribed signal message is transmitted from the signaling point A to the signaling point F.
Available signal routes between signaling points A and F include the signal routes passing through a Signaling Link Set AB or AC. Because there are two routes, the operator of the signaling network determines the priority between the available signal routes. The operator then designates each of the Signaling Link Sets AB and AC as a normal route or an alternate route.
An assembly of each available signal route operation mode is described below in Table 1.
In Table 1, the xe2x80x9cNormal Routexe2x80x9d identifies the signal route used in transmission of a signaling network managing message toward a prescribed signaling point and a user part signal message when the signaling network is in normal state, i.e., without having any occurrence of error. The xe2x80x9cAlternative Routexe2x80x9d identifies the signal route used only to transmit the signaling network managing message when the signaling network is in normal state. The Alternative Route is also used to transmit the signaling network managing messages and user part signal messages when errors occur on all normal routes toward a signaling point.
Accordingly as depicted in Case 1 of Table 1, when a signal message is transmitted from signaling point A to F in a No. 7 signaling network, all signal routes passing through the Signaling Link Sets AB and AC are normal signal routes. The operator of the signaling network therefor transfers the user part signal message of a Message Transfer Part MTP) from the signaling point A to the terminating point F by allotting each half of the user part signal message to the Signaling Link Sets passing through routes AB and AC.
In Case 2, the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AB is a normal route and the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AC is an alternative route. The operator of the signaling network therefor transfers the user part signal message of a MTP from the signaling point A to the terminating point F only through the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AB.
In Case 3, the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AB is an alternative route, and the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AC is a normal route. The operator of the signaling network therefor transmits the user part signal message of a MTP from the signaling point A to the terminating point F only through the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AC.
In Case 4, the signal route passing through the Signaling Link Set AB and AC are both alternative routes. The signal message cannot be transmitted from the signaling point A to signaling point F.
As described above, the related signal message routing in the No. 7 signaling network has several problems. For example, the routing is performed by the operator of the signaling network. That operator is required to recognize the connection configuration of the whole signaling network and a state of the Signaling Link Sets. Based on that information, the operator designates the operation modes (normal route/alternative route) of the signal routes.
When the signaling network has an easy and simple configuration, the operator can readily identify the configuration of the whole signaling network and can optimize the operation mode of the signal route for each signaling point in the signaling network. When, however, the signaling network is larger and/or more complex, the related method is very difficult to use, and could result in many errors.
Also, when a plurality of network companies and interlocking signaling networks are present, it is difficult to optimize the signaling networks due to generation of complicated signal routes.
In addition, when errors occur in the signaling network, the optimum signal route corresponding to a certain terminating point may be changed on the signaling point. The operator of the signaling network may not be able to cope with the situation. Accordingly, the signaling network could operate in a non-optimum state for a certain time.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.
An object of the invention is to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a priority auto-control method of signal routes in the No. 7 signaling network, which overcomes the problems due to the disadvantages in the related art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a priority auto-control method of signal routes in the No. 7 signaling network, which is capable of improving efficiency in a signaling network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a priority auto-control method of signal routes in the No. 7 signaling network, which automatically controls priority of the signal route in the signaling network by newly defining a Message Transfer Part (MTP) signaling network test message and corresponding answer message and using the signaling network test message and answer message when not less than two signal routes toward a certain terminating point are available.
In order to achieve at least these objects, in whole or in parts, there is provided a MHT (MTP Hop Test:MTP Hop Test message) and a MHA (MTP Hop Acknowledgment:MHT answer message) in the No. 7 network in accordance with a standard form of the MTP signal message, which automatically controls the priority of the available signal routes between a terminating point and an originating point.
Moreover, to achieve at least the above objects in whole or in parts, there is further provided a priority auto-control method of signal routes in a No. 7 signaling network including a transmitting process transmitting the MHT message for testing the each signal route after detecting available signal routes toward the terminating point (test ending signaling point), a transferring process transferring the MHT message to the test ending signaling point when the signaling point receiving the MHT message is not the test ending signaling point, a transmitting process transmitting the MHA message as the answer message corresponding to the MHT message to the test starting signaling point when the signaling point receiving the MHT message is the test ending signaling point, and a controlling process controlling automatically the priority of the available signal routes by using the message information after the originating point (test starting signaling point) receiving the MHA message.
To achieve at least the above objects in whole or in parts, there is further a priority control method of signal routes in a common-channel signaling network, including defining a signal message for testing a plurality of available signal routes between a test starting signaling point and a test ending signaling point, and automatically controlling a priority of the available signal routes after performing a testing process using the defined signal message for a prescribed time.
To achieve at least the above objects in whole or in parts, there is further a method of controlling a signal route in a communications network, including generating at least one dynamically changeable message at a first signaling point and sending the at least one message to a second signaling point over a corresponding signaling route having at least one intermediate signaling point, and comparing message information of all received messages at the second signaling point and setting a priority order among the signaling routes based on the received message information.
To achieve at least the above objects in whole or in parts, there is further a signal network, including a plurality of signaling nodes coupled by corresponding signaling routes, wherein a first signaling node of the plurality of signaling nodes generates a first signal message and transmits the first signal message to a final signaling node of the plurality of signaling nodes, and the final signaling node generates a second signal message based on the first signal message and transmits the second signal message to the first signaling node, wherein information comprising the second signal message controls a priority of the signal routes in the signal network.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.